Despite the fact that homeopathy has not been embraced by the conventional medical community, many people who use this type of alternative therapy say they experience improvements, new research reveals.

A German and Swiss study looked at the effects of homeopathy on patients suffering from chronic conditions including headaches, allergies and sleep disorders, Reuters Health reports.

The findings, published in BMC Public Health, show that people using homeopathic practices over a period of time said their symptoms declined by as much as 50 percent.

However, the researchers caution that the study was not designed to prove causality or to screen out the placebo effect.

Additionally, some of the participants were using conventional medicine alongside homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy was developed in Germany in the 18th century and has been practiced in the U.S. since the early 19th century.

In homeopathic treatment, therapists use very small doses of substances derived from plants, minerals or animals. These substances produce symptoms of illness in healthy people when administered in larger doses.